What Is Chicken Rib Meat & What Is It Used For?

Chicken is a popular meat that frequently appears on many menus, whether it’s for breakfast, lunch, snacks or dinner. It’s possible to eat all parts of the chicken, even its heart, gizzards, liver, and feet.

While many people don’t find the organs and feet of a chicken very appealing, there is a popular part of chicken that people are more apt to eat, which is chicken rib meat. 

What is Chicken Rib Meat & What is it Used For?

Chicken rib meat is essentially part of the breast, but it’s brown instead of white like the actual breast is. Chicken rib meat is flavorful and is often used in a variety of different chicken dishes.

The rib meat of the chicken is more affordable, so if you’re eating on a budget, you should opt for this part of the chicken. Unless you go to a butcher, the only way that you’ll be able to purchase chicken rib meat is by purchasing chicken breasts.

When shopping at the store, you will find two main choices of chicken breasts: breasts, which is the whole breast, and chicken breasts with rib meat.

Whole chicken breasts are typically pricier than chicken breasts with rib meat, so that is a definite plus for most people, especially during a time when prices have increased exponentially.  

What Are Some Possible Chicken Rib Meat Recipes? 

The sky is the limit when it comes to cooking chicken, as you can eat chicken sausage with your eggs in the morning, diced chicken breast in your salad for lunch, and even fried or barbecued chicken for dinner.

If you enjoy experimenting, then you can check the web for thousands of chicken rib meat recipes. You could simply season the chicken breasts with rib meat and then cook them on the grill.

Not only is this a quick and easy way to cook chicken breasts with rib meat, but it’s a very flavorful one.

Grilled chicken breasts with rib meat goes perfectly with any side, whether you’re in the mood for potato salad, baked potatoes, salad, grilled vegetables, or something completely different. 

Air Fryer Chicken with Rib Meat Recipe

Another popular yet easy way to cook chicken breasts with rib meat is to bake it in the oven or air fryer. Many people love cooking chicken in their air fryers, because it comes out crispy without the need to add oil.

However, other people don’t necessarily want crispy chicken, but they desire the flavor that cooking it in the oven or air fryer gives it.

Just like with chicken cooked on the grill, there are numerous sides to choose from when it comes to pairing something with your chicken.

Macaroni and cheese is an especially popular side to pair with any type of chicken, but it all depends on your mood. 

Chicken with Rib Meat Quesadillas 

Just because you purchase chicken with rib meat doesn’t mean that you must eat the meat off the bone.

If you’re in the mood for a Mexican-style dish, then it’s perfectly acceptable to remove the meat from the bone after it’s cooked so you can shred it and add it to your quesadillas.

It’s so easy to make chicken quesadillas, and after boiling the chicken in the crock pot or on the stove, all that’s necessary to do next is add seasonings (if you haven’t already, add onions, cheese and whatever else you’d like before adding everything to the quesadillas and finishing them up.

Chicken Breast with Rib Meat Chicken & Dumplings

There aren’t many people who don’t like chicken and dumplings, and if you want to make your own, it’s certainly quite easy to make.

Simply boil your chicken breasts with rib meat in a large pot with lots of seasoning, diced onions, peppers, and celery.

Once your chicken has boiled for some time, then you can remove the chicken from the broth, de-bone it, and prepare your dumplings according to the recipe that you’re using.

Some people even use biscuit mix to make their dumplings, which usually turns out great.

Does Chicken Rib Meat Look Like Pork Ribs?

If you’re imagining cooking up a huge slab of chicken ribs on the grill and adding barbecue sauce, then you’ve got it all wrong.

Chicken rib meat is much smaller than pork ribs, since chickens are typically much smaller than pigs.

There isn’t much meat on chicken ribs, and they’re used mostly for flavoring soups, stews, and other meals that you want to make chicken-flavored.

Chicken rib meat can taste just as delicious as pork or even beef ribs, but they simply can’t be compared when it comes to how it looks. 

Is It Easier to Cook with Whole Breasts Rather Than Chicken Breasts with Rib Meat?

Everyone is different and everyone has their own opinion about which type of chicken breast is easier to cook with.

While some cooks swear by whole chicken breasts because they don’t want to contend with the bone, other cooks wouldn’t cook chicken breast unless it included the rib meat for whatever reason.

If you’re not sure which you prefer cooking with, then it will be necessary for you to do some experimenting of your own.

While chicken breasts don’t require the removal of any bones, if you are making a recipe like chicken Parmesan, then you might be better off using whole breasts and cutting them in half.

However, if you’re simply frying, baking, or grilling your chicken breast, then it likely won’t make a difference if you opt for whole or breast with rib meat.

Is Chicken with Rib Meat Juicer Than Regular Breasts?

In most cases, chicken with rib meat is considerably juicier than whole chicken breasts. That’s because white meat tends to be dry, but rib meat, which is darker meat that contains more fat, isn’t white or dry.

So, if you’re tired of your baked or grilled chicken breasts coming out too dry, then you should switch to chicken breasts with ribs, as you’re likely to notice a huge difference. 

Is It Easy to Remove the Rib from Chicken Breast Prior to Cooking?

If you want to take advantage of the cheaper cost for chicken breast meat with ribs and then remove the rib portion yourself once you get the chicken home, then that is perfectly fine.

In fact, it’s a great idea, and as long as you have a knife that’s sharp enough, it shouldn’t be difficult at all to remove the rib area of your chicken breast.

You might even want to invest in a pair of poultry shears or a de-boning knife, which can make removing the rib portion from the chicken breast a lot easier. 

FAQs about Chicken Rib Meat

Here is a list of answers to frequently asked questions about chicken with rib meat, which can hopefully help you on your quest to cook the perfect chicken meal.